KPop Demon Hunters Actress Reveals The Ways Her Personal Path Mirrored Protagonist's Story

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"{I hated that I looked Asian, that I lacked light-colored eyes and fair hair, because that's what was beautiful at the time," reveals Arden Cho, who voiced the lead character in the streaming platform's chart-topping movie, the K-pop themed animation.

Cho, forty, is describing her early years in Texas, as the eldest daughter of parents who emigrated from Korea and her journey toward belonging in American society.

In the film, which narrates the tale of a female K-Pop trio who must save the world from evil forces, the protagonist has to come to terms with her identity as part human, part demon – and when she first read the script, this resonated powerfully.

"Being born in America, feeling American but having others view me like I'm not, trying to figure out my identity as an Asian-American, as a Asian-American, as a female," she says.

These were all components of her early life that mirrored Rumi's journey.

"Truthfully, at various stages in my life, I hated many parts of me and I longed to become someone else.

"During childhood, what you see influences who you become and I feel like I just didn't see sufficient individuals that look like me."

When it launched on Netflix in the summer, KPop Demon Hunters achieved millions of streams in just 14 days, and reached the highest positions of the streaming rankings in dozens of nations. To star in the first Hollywood animated film set in Korea, with Korean leads, was for her "a dream come true" – but it has also made her a inspiring figure for young Asian-Americans, the kind that she lacked when she was young.

She notes many individuals of Korean descent have told her it's "a breath of fresh air", making them feel pride for the first instance of their mixed background and culture.

"In my view Korean pop music really, truly, has paved the way. Korean cosmetics has had a significant influence on global appreciation for Korea. But I feel like the film is the one that pushed it further, of, everybody wants to go to Korea, now," she comments.

But the movie's triumph was not guaranteed and Cho admits she felt the team making it were "occasionally struggling against odds".

"It seems it kind of sucks to mention this, but any time there's an production with Asian leads, people feel like it's a risk," she says.

So, when she accepted the part, she made an effort to connect with the entire cast and crew in person, she says.

The movie was launched against the backdrop of heightened enforcement actions in the US as part of extensive removal policies, which sparked protests in many states.

As an person of Asian descent residing in America "it's heartbreaking and disappointing," says Cho. "Immigrants have shaped the nation."

Reports have suggested that up to one hundred fifty thousand Korean immigrants lacking legal status, including those who were adopted, are among those who could be deported.

As an grown-up, she came to realise that the prejudice she had experienced when she was younger stemmed mainly from a lack of education, as people didn't know what it meant to be of Asian descent.

"However today, in the modern era, when it seems the society and individuals should know better, it's deeply disheartening and sometimes I feel like there's a sense of despair," she says.

Because of this, it feels very special, she notes, that KPop Demon Hunters could bring "optimism and happiness to all these different communities".

"Perhaps this explains it became this movie of the summer, because there was a need for some hope and a unifying element as one."

The growth of AI is a significant worry for the entertainment sector, creating the potential that in future it could be used to make a film like KPop Demon Hunters.

Cho acknowledges she is conscious that technology is already being used to replicate actors' voices, but wants to "maintain faith in people" that individuals will still seek out art created by humans.

"Certainly, I believe there will be digital performers and vocalists. I'm aware they already exist. I understand our voices are already being manipulated, but I hope people have some respect and desire for something real."

KPop Demon Hunters has also been leading the global music charts, with seven tracks from its score appearing in the Billboard Hot 100. It has its own fan art, and viewers around the world are calling for a sequel.

Cho tells us she would like to confirm the question of if a sequel is planned – but both she and fans will have to await the platform or the production company, which made the film, to give it the green light.

"I know rumors are circulating, I've heard wonderful things," she shares. "So we shall see, and I believe everyone in the world would protest if it didn't happen."

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